Work Text:
No Place Like Paraguay
By Perpetual Motion
"You know," Tony spoke as he flopped face first onto the bed, and the rest of his statement came out muffled. "Up until the almost-shooting, and then the shooting in the head, it was a nice little trip."
Tim scoffed lightly as he pulled Tony's shoes off and gave his legs a shove so that he was lying across the bed properly. "Glad you had a little fun. I was playing computer nerd the whole time you guys were gone."
"Tim," Tony turned over and watched Tim pull off his socks. "You are a computer nerd."
"But still." Tim ran his hands up Tony's legs and started working on his belt. "I would have liked Paraguay."
"You don't have the filed experience for Paraguay." Tony pulled Tim's hands off of his belt and pulled him upwards. "And I'm glad you weren't there."
Tim looked down at Tony and watched the weariness play over his face. "I saw Purcell get shot. Whoever was on the other end of the link gave us video feed."
"What?" The weariness dropped off of Tony's face in an instant and was immediately replaced with shock. "Why didn't you tell us that at the airport?"
"Gibbs is going to tell you tomorrow."
"Yeah, but..." Tony trailed off and let go of Tim's hands so that he could touch his face. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Tim flopped over so that he was to Tony's right side.
"You shouldn't have had to see that."
"Why not?" Tim had a pretty good idea as to the answer, but he wanted to hear Tony say it.
"You just shouldn't." Tony curled against Tim. "Can we sleep?"
"No." Tim pulled away so that he could see Tony's face. "Finish your thought."
"Tim, I don't have thoughts right now. It's all blurs and half-ideas. I'm fucking tired."
Tim decided to fill in Tony's thought. "I shouldn't have seen it because I wasn't there. I shouldn't have seen it because I had to watch Erin die. I shouldn't have seen it because I'm the probie, and probies aren't supposed to see things like that."
Tony groaned but didn't deny anything. "Maybe. I don't know. Can we talk about this after I get some sleep?"
"No, I want to talk now."
"Why do you always decide to get incredibly domineering when I'm half-asleep?"
"Because it's when you say the really stupid stuff." Tim turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I'm a field agent. People die. I know this."
"I wish you didn't have to see it."
"Well, I'm going to see it whether you want me to or not. Get used to it." Tim turned his head and looked at Tony. "Why didn't I get to go to Paraguay?"
"Because you don't have the field experience." Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I swear, Tim, I wouldn't ever not let you go just to protect you."
"It doesn't seem like it right now."
"Yeah, well, I just saved a girl from getting killed, and I got to find out that Purcell took an bullet to the head a hundred yards away from me, so I'm feeling a little overprotective. Get over it."
Tim stared up at the ceiling and decided not to respond with the kick to the shins that he wanted to deliver. He rolled back onto his side so that he could see Tony. "We can finish this tomorrow, if you want."
"Please. Thank you." Tony closed his eyes and felt Tim move off of the bed. "Where are you going?" He felt Tim's hands land back on his belt. "I'm tired."
"And I have a headache, so that's not going to happen. I just thought you'd prefer to sleep with your pants off." Tim got Tony's belt undone and yanked at Tony's waistband when Tony lifted his hips. "There. Isn't that better?"
"Yeah." Tony was already half-asleep. He listened as Tim stripped down and crawled into bed beside him. "Tim?"
"Yeah?"
"I didn't want you to see it because I've seen it, and I know the shock."
"I know." Tim settled in next to Tony and rubbed his arm. "We'll talk about it in the morning."
"'Kay." Tony fell asleep.
Tim stared at the ceiling and tried not to replay the last few seconds of video over and over again in his head. Morning came before he finally fell asleep.
end